Third time a charm? Trout making another MVP bid

Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout reacts and gestures to towards his dugout from second base after hitting an RBI double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, July 13, 2014. The Angels won 10-7. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
The Associated Press

Los Angeles Angels Mike Trout reacts and gestures to towards his dugout from second base after hitting an RBI double during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, July 13, 2014. The Angels won 10-7. (AP Photo/LM Otero)

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, front, fields throw as Minnesota Twins' Brian Dozier slides safely into second base with a double in the first inning of an interleague baseball game in Denver on Saturday, July 12, 2014. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)The Associated Press

Colorado Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki, front, fields throw as Minnesota Twins' Brian Dozier slides safely into second base with a double in the first inning of an interleague baseball game in Denver on Saturday, July 12, 2014. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

Mike Trout entered the All-Star break in style.

The Los Angeles outfielder had eight hits and nine RBIs as the surging Angels swept a four-game series at Texas. Trout is now hitting .310 with 22 home runs, 73 RBIs and 10 steals, and the Angels have won 19 of 23.

"We're playing good right now, and that's all that matters," Trout said. "We are pitching good and our timely hitting has been awesome. The team chemistry is unbelievable. We all love each other and we all pick each other up."

The Angels are now just 1 1/2 games behind first-place Oakland in the AL West, and Trout has a good chance to play in the postseason for the first time in his young career. This could also be the year he picks up his first MVP award after earning plenty of support in 2012 and 2013.

Miguel Cabrera of Detroit won it both those seasons, but his offensive numbers — while still excellent — have come down out of the stratosphere.

Trout will still have some competition in the American League MVP race. Toronto's Jose Bautista could end up with big numbers if he stays healthy, and Baltimore's Adam Jones and Nelson Cruz have led the Orioles to the top of the AL East — although those two may take votes away from each other.

The fact that the Angels missed the playoffs the last two years worked against Trout in the MVP discussion. Now, Los Angeles has reached the break with the second-best record in baseball.

Here are five other award races to watch in the second half:

NL MVP: As long as he isn't traded to the American League, Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki figures to be a front-runner in this race. His .345 average, 21 home runs and 52 RBIs call to mind Alex Rodriguez in his prime.

If the Rockies' poor record costs Tulowitzki, look for Milwaukee catcher Jonathan Lucroy to emerge as one of the more out-of-nowhere MVP candidates in recent memory. Giancarlo Stanton of Miami is another possibility.

The trio of star pitchers in the National League — Clayton Kershaw of Los Angeles, Adam Wainwright of St. Louis and Johnny Cueto of Cincinnati — may have cases as well. More on them later .

AL CY YOUNG: Felix Hernandez of Seattle looks like the clear favorite here after the injury to New York's Masahiro Tanaka. Yu Darvish of Texas and Chris Sale of Chicago could also end up in the mix, and if you're looking for a longshot, how about Scott Kazmir of Oakland? The 30-year-old left-hander is 11-3 with a 2.38 ERA.

NL CY YOUNG: Kershaw missed over a month with an injury, and it almost doesn't matter. With a 1.78 ERA at the break — and a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 126 to 13 — the Los Angeles lefty has set the bar awfully high for the rest of the league.

But Wainwright (12-4 with a 1.83 ERA) and Cueto (10-6, 2.13) are right there with Kershaw.